


Drabble : When Tim takes matter into his own hand

by Hasegawa



Series: The Angst of Timothy Drake [5]
Category: DCU
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-20
Updated: 2020-03-28
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:47:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22815682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hasegawa/pseuds/Hasegawa
Summary: Tim gave up and became a villain instead.May not be continued, read at your own risk.
Series: The Angst of Timothy Drake [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1573165
Comments: 8
Kudos: 86





	1. Chapter 1

Happiness is simple.

Looking at the whole family, happily cuddling in the middle of the manor. Bruce sits on the armchair. Dick sits on the floor, sprawling. Damian beside him, scowling. Jason grumbles but gently massaging Cass's shoulder. And Alfred pouring the chamomile tea onto six cups.

Tim feels happiness fill him. He takes a picture.

Ah.

They are happy without him.

There is no place for him here. Not anymore.

* * *

_There are pictures of them all over the wall. Tim took most of them._

_That's why he was not in most of them._

* * *

Maybe it was the boredom. Maybe it was the loneliness. Tim found himself in front of the Gotham's Villain Finest meeting room. Everybody was looking at him—or to be exact, the monitor that Tim put as a representative of himself.

“Show your face, coward,” Penguin spat on the monitor, and grumbles in agreements were heard.

“ _What if I don't have one?”_ Tim answered with a sweet voice. He used voice changer, of course. And he used a little boy—5 years old to be exact—just for the fun of it. “ _I am not even born yet, papa.”_

Penguin spluttered in disgust and – dare Tim laugh—shame. The room laughed with Tim, yet some stayed silent. Stoic. Tim likes that.

“ _Ever wonder why you always lost to Batman and his Robins?”_

That got the whole room into silence. Tim smiled and continued.

“ _I've seen your history. You are all good, and big in your own turf; but Batman always win in the end. There are so many of you and only one of him. Yet you loose. Why? I can only see three reasons: One, there is no system between all of you. Two, You don't have Batman's analytical abilities and Three, None of you ever tries to work together._

_Before any of you scream you are one man team; see the bigger picture here – what stops you from becoming bigger together, erase Batman, and THEN divide the city? From my infant point of view, it's that simple. In fact, I can drawn the map for city turf now, and if you all agree, I can be your coordinator.”_

“Why should be choose you?” Catwoman asked slyly, and Tim knew she was trying to see whether she should tell Batman about him.

“ _Oh, because I can see the area perfectly. I am everywhere. I am not born in the physical sense yet, but I am everywhere here.”_

Tim changed the screen from smiley face emoji (^u^) to a map of Gotham, divided into sections and color coded with each Villain's turf. _“How about this?”_

Tim knew from the camera that he got 90% of the villains in the room with him. The big and only ones still thinking were Joker and Ra's Al Ghul. Tim knew he could get them slowly. Because he knows everything about everyone, but was limited with Bat's code of conduct. Now that he was not a Bat anymore, Tim has nothing to limit himself.

It was the start of The Baby's grasp over Gotham.


	2. Chapter 2

Why the name Baby, they asked.

Tim smiled to himself. It's a shameful thing to admit that the name just crossed his mind a minute before he aired across the roomful of villains. In a way, it's just what he wanted to be—back to a baby stage, where everything was still empty and fresh. Also, Baby seemed docile, weak and all around weird name for a Batman's enemy.

Maybe Tim still doesn't want to oppose Batman. Maybe his training is still deeply ingrained. Or maybe because his Batman-worship was still there. Well, either way, Tim refused to think further and instead immersed himself in the dull sound of fast typing on his master computer keyboards.

He missed going out as Red Robin. His body hasn't moved for the past two days. He missed flying.

But this part, where he looks over the villains' whereabouts, monitoring and whispering orders on their ears. When they all agreed to let him be their coordinator, everybody agrees to let him branded them with small microchip sticker by the back of ear – except for Joker and Ra's—and he could contact, see or direct them through that microchip.

He was actually having an enjoyment out of it.

Poison Ivy is his favourite. The Green Lady actually treated him like his name – a Baby – and showed him through her plants, slowly explaining. Tim was deeply fascinated with each of them, and then slowly realised Poison Ivy isn't all that bad, really. He started to understand her POV, and why everything was scum. Also, the way she harbored a little bit of self-depreciation because she couldn't touch the person she wanted due to poison she has all over her body.

Tonight he was following the Riddler, taking care of a drug trafficking that is hidden behind a layer of puzzles. Tim's hands itched to stop Riddler, but he kept himself calm and reminded himself, he is no longer a vigilante. He is a professional coordinator, and that was it. He softly reminded Riddler to not touch Penguin's batch of new armory within the puzzle; when suddenly Riddler stopped moving and laughed softly. “Thank you, Baby.” Riddler whispered.

“ _You_ _can bring a smile to your face,_

_A tear to other's eye,_

_Or even a thought to people's mind._

_But, You can’t be seen._

_What are you?”_

  
  


Tim chuckled. “You are so funny, Mr. Ridddle.”

  
  


The answer surprised him.

  
  


“Sometimes all we need to hear is that innocent voice laughing, Darling.”

  
  


Tim stopped laughing. He refused to admit he was blushing.

* * *

  
  


A week passed, and Tim realised he has never had so much fun in his young adult life.

And then he also realised, none of the Bats were contacting him. Only Kon and Bart kept him in contact, just for the usual game night.

And weirdly enough, his lost felt a bit bearable with Catwoman's kitten meowing on the microchip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am officially old. I coughed blood and nosebleed for the whole night. 
> 
> I am sorry I have been neglecting the fanfiction side of things. I am starting to rekindle my passion with anime. I want to draw too (Can anyone tell me how to upload a picture in ao3)? 
> 
> Is it true that AO3 is getting threat from the 'privacy law' etc? 
> 
> Thank you! 
> 
> Update: i am fine now, thanks for all the kind concern. I had a bit of liver failure due to stress. Haha. But now its fine already :D


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s been almost half a year since The Baby first joined the Gotham underground.
> 
> Until a message peep’d on his phone. 
> 
> Baby bird, let’s have movie night, tomorrow at 8! 
> 
> Against all his reasoning, Tim went with a slight hope. 

It’s been almost half a year since The Baby first joined the Gotham underground. 

It has been quite an experience. Joker aside, the rest of the members were--dare Tim says--lovely. He never expected to enjoy his one on one time with Poison Ivy. watching plants and learning about poisonous leaf babies were very fun--it felt like Tim had a mother. A mother who taught him about things, not leaving him 350 days a year. Harlequin, with all her craziness and mercurial disposition, was a surprisingly decent gamer. They had decent games over the internet, and it was fun; Tim felt like he had a big sister (it made him miss Cass, but Cass is always away in HK). 

The penguin, tricky and prideful he was, taught Tim (although he was pretending to be a baby) how to play his “first” poker game--and how to read people. They even had a night where Penguin just talked about his past, and gave Tim “life advice” (not all are within the boundaries of law, but Tim didn’t mind as he wasn’t on the side of Angel anymore). 

The Riddler taught Tim how to have fun--and how to face a life that never goes right. Riddles are there to help, to mask the pain and push forward the fun part leaving the bitter sat on the back. He showed to Tim how to gracefully manipulate events and it’s all the puzzle within that matters. 

The Mad Hatter brought Tim into his neuroscience research, and Tim found it very fascinating. Behind every evil plan he concocted, the Mad Hatter was just trying to gain more information about the human mind--and ultimately how to make himself perfect. Once, though, he whispered to Baby that it wasn’t worth it--the pursuit to become perfect-- and advised him against it. “A lonely fight” he said. “You just start your life--real person or not. You should enjoy your life and choose better. Learn from our mistakes, Baby.” 

Tim spent his time from one member to another, and found the family he never dared to wish for. It felt like he found where he belonged-- even though he was sitting 24/7 behind ten monitors and typing super speed. But he felt more alive, more excited, and dare he say it -- more loved. (Ra’s doesn’c count. He sort of guessed Tim’s identity since the first week and turned into a pestering stalker with his “join me” offers.)

Catwoman was a different matter. Tim avoided her as much as he could, because he didn’t want to risk his identity. At first it was because he didn’t want the Bats to know. But now, it’s more like Tim doesn’t want to lose his newfound comradie. It’s not like Catwoman doesn’t try though--but Tim knows she acted on behalf of Bruce-- who started to notice “The baby”. Slina must have told him and decided to help Bruce. 

The Villains liked The Baby too. They never had anyone handling them before, coordinating them. The process became smoother--instead of cross booking the dock for two illegal businesses, now they alternate--and since The Baby was mediating it, everything fell into perfect pattern. Their modus operandi changed into a nice flow -- and Tim prided that most of their plans went under the Bat’s radar. 

Tim sometimes felt guilty when he knew that his newfound family was importing firearms, or drugs, or planning to hurt people. Sometimes he talked them out of their more devilish plans and instead just targeted a part of the city. But slowly he became immune to the guilt and enjoyed his position. He also started to understand the frustration when one of the vigilante came in the middle of a project and ruined it all, and had the gall to feel self-righteous about it. 

It has been half a year of fun, learning and heart warming personal growth. 

And it has been six months too many since the Bats even called him. 

* * *

When he decided to be The Baby, Tim asked Tam to reduce his workload. He slowly moved projects back onto Lucius, telling the man that Tim wanted to “explore” being a university student. Truthfully he did enroll into the Gotham U, just for name sake only. He didnt attend class, nor take any credits, he usually just hacked himself into the system and registered himself as a modest student. So far it worked. 

In the vigilante form, Tim has already Plan A to G if just by any chance the Bats start to realise something funny. But well, he was proved wrong since he didn't even need to use his plan A. none of the Bats ever get suspicious or called or asked. They only need the Red Robin -- and Tim slowly distanced himself by stating his “mission with the Young Justice”. 

Until a message peep’d on his phone. 

_ Baby bird, let’s have movie night, tomorrow at 8!  _

Tim wondered whether he should go. 

Against all his reasoning, he went with a slight hope. 

* * *

“Its been so long! How are you, Baby Bird?” Dick smiled and hugged him tight. Tim missed it. The human touch. 

“I am fine, Dick. How are y…”

“Jay! Come here, I found new stuff on our case…” and with that, Jason and Dick ended up entering their own world. 

Bruce sat broodily on the one personal sofa, leg covered in cast because he broke his ankle last week. Tim felt a bit guilty about it, since Bruce fell due to Tim’s intervention when he almost caught Mr. Nygma. He moved closer to the man he used to hope to call Dad. 

“Bruce… how are you?”

Bruce just grunts. Tim knew Bruce must have felt embarrassed and tired. Not personally ignoring Tim. yeah, that must be it. 

“Tttt, Father doesn’t want you to disturb him, Drake.” 

“Hello to you too, Demon.” Tim shrugged and pretended it didn't pierce him to have his fear affirmed. He took a seat on the carpet, a bit nearer to the door. Cass wasn’t there, still in HK. Then Dick and Jason entered the room, marking the start of movie night. 

They choose a family favourite movie. A movie that came just a bit over a month ago. Dick and Jason laugh in unison, even Damian has his favorite part. They have watched the movie before. More than once, even. 

Tim has never seen the movie. 

The more the night passed, the more painful it became. Tim realises he must be a masochist. And he longed the nights he spent with Ivy and Harlequin instead. 

He closed his eyes and hid his face on his knees. He promised it will be the last time he comes to the movie night. There was no place for him. It affirmed that he no longer has a place there. When the movie reached the climax, he stood slowly and went out. Nobody asked where he was going, probably assuming Tim wanted to go to the toilet. Tim walked to his bedroom instead. His room was clean and stale. Alfred must have cleaned it several months ago and never came back because Tim never used his room anymore. Tim sat on his desk, erasing his data from the Bat computer and closed his laptop. He left the laptop on the table and hand wrote a goodbye note. He put it in the drawer. At least Alfred will know. Maybe.    
  


Maybe it was all for the best. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's fun writing the Villain gallery. But it will not be smooth. Because Joker will do whatever he does. 
> 
> I am better! I suffered from bloodied cough last month (not corona). But now I am getting better and quarantine myself in the house. Hope you all stay safe!


End file.
